Jesse Williams joins artists backing #FreeAhed

Actor Jesse Williams, who plays Dr Jackson Avery in the popular TV show Grey’s Anatomy, has joined other prominent actors, artists, authors, sports people and icons in backing a call by US group, Dream Defenders, for the release of Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi. The 17-year-old Tamimi is being held in an Israeli prison for almost two months now.

On 15 December 2017, 15-year-old Mohammad Tamimi was shot in the face by an Israeli soldier while participating in an unarmed protest of Donald Trump's Jerusalem declaration.

Just minutes later, his 16-year-old cousin Ahed Tamimi rose up to protect her family’s home after two armed Israeli soldiers invaded her yard. Ahed stood her ground and demanded the soldiers to leave. When they refused and tried to use her property as a base from which to shoot at protesters, she slapped one of them.

Ahed was arrested a few days later in the middle of the night and has been indicted by Israel's military court, which has a 99.7% conviction rate. Ahed has been denied bail and her trial will begin today, 13 February 2018. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called for her release. Ahed is one of over 300 Palestinain children held by Israel.

This child remains in a dungeon for slapping a heavily armed soldier who slapped her first and was illegally on her doorstep and in illegal occupation of her country. Labour “Friends of Israel” lie that it is anti-Semitic to oppose this. STAND UP #AhedTamimipic.twitter.com/xOvdMZ9AYw

Others to have signed the call include actresses Rosario Dawson from "Seven Pounds" and LisaGay Hamilton from “The Practice"; Lethal Weapon’s Danny Glover, former Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave band member Tom Morello; American Football sport-star Michael Bennett; hip-hop artists Vic Mensa and Talib Kweli; as well as Professors Cornel West and Angela Davis.